Bottle carrier



July 3, 1951 J. c. A. FORTNER BOTTLE CARRIER Filed July 3, 1946 Inventor Patented July 3, 195 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved bottle carrier especially suitable to facilitate the carrying of a number of bottles of soft drinks or the like.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a comparatively simple and efiicient carrier of the above kind into which the bottled goods may be conveniently and quickly placed and from which they may be readily removed.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a collapsible carrier of the above kind including a bottom member having hinged side walls, and upwardly converging bails hinged to the upper edges of said side walls, the side walls being swingable inwardly and downwardly onto the bottom member, and the carrier being adapted to be directly or indirectly lifted by means of said bails.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carrier of the above kind in which the upper ends of the bails are permanently hingedly connected, and wherein the lower end of one of the bails is hingedl and detachably connected with the upper edge of one of the side walls, whereby to permit compact folding of the carrier by swinging the side walls inwardly and downwardly onto the bottom member.

More specific objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a bottle carrier constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 i a fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly broken away, showing a modification wherein a bail-like handle is hingedly connected to the hingedly connected upper ends of the bai Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 illustrating a further modification.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 illustrating a still further modification.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the present carrier comprises a tray-like bottom member or section 5, preferably constructed of sheet metal and including a generally flat bottom wall 6 having shallow upstanding marginal end flanges I and side flanges 8. The bottom wall 6 is preferably provided with spaced longitudinal and transverse corrugations 8 and In which intersect each other and are provided for reinforcing purposes and/ or to form seats for the bottles.

Hinged at their lower edges to the upper edges of the side flanges 8 are side walls l2 that preferably correspond in height substantially to the height of the bottles to be carried. The hinge connections are preferabl provided by forming inter-fitting hinge knuckles l3 and I4 on the flanges 8 and the walls 12, respectively, and passing hinge rods I5 through said knuckles. In this way, the hinge connections permit free swinging of the side walls [2 inwardly and downwardly onto the bottom member to facilitate collapsing of the carrier.

Hingedly connected at their lower ends to the upper edges of the respective side walls l2, are upwardly convergin bails l6 and I1, whose upper ends may be hingedly connected in adjacent or contiguous relation. It will thus be apparent that when the carrier is lifted with bottles therein, by means of the upper ends of the bails i6 and I1, the latter will swing the side walls l2 inwardly into gripping engagement with the bottles so as to securely retain them in the carrier. The bail I6 is preferably pivoted in a barrel or rolled upper edge portion l8 of one of the side walls 12 while the lower end of the ball I! may be detachably and hingedly engaged in an inwardly and downwardly directed upper edge portion I9 of the other side wall l2. The arrangement is such that the bail I! may be disengaged from the associated wall l2 by simply moving said bail downwardly until its lower member passes below the inwardly and downwardly turned edge 19. When bail H is thus disengaged from the associated side wall I2, both side walls are free to be swung inwardly and downwardly as previously mentioned. The upper ends of the bails I6 and H are preferably hingedly connected by loosely encircling the upper members thereof with a tube or sleeve 29 that may be employed as a hand grip in transporting the carrier.

Where the carrier is adapted for large bottles, it is preferably provided with a bail-like handle adapted to extend upwardly from the connected upper ends of the bails It and As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the bail-like handle 2! may have its lower member hingedly engaged in a larger sleeve 20 substituted for the sleeve 20.

Figure 6 shows a modification in which the bail-like handle Zia has its ends formed with eye members 22 which embrace the upper members of the bails l6 and ii at the opposite ends of the latter. In this embodiment, a further 3 sleeve or tube 23 may be placed on the intermediate portion of the handle Zla to form a hand grip therefor.

In the embodiment of Figure 7, the bail-like handle Zlb has its ends soldered or welded at 24 to the ends of a tube or sleeve 20b which embraces the upper members of the bails l6 and H. The intermediate portion of the handle Zlb may also be provided with a sleeve 23?) to form a hand grip therefor.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction, manner of use and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Minor changes are contemplated such as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

l. A collapsible bottle carrier comprising a sheet metal tray-like bottom member having shallow upstanding marginal end and side flanges, one side flange extending higher than the other, sheet metal side walls hingedly connected at their lower edges to the side flanges of said bottom member to swing inwardly and downwardly onto the latter in horizontal superimposed relation, a pair of upwardly converging bails, means hingedly connecting one 'of said bails at the bottom to the upper edge of one of said side walls, means hingedly and detachably connecting the other bail at the bottom with the upper edge of the other side wall, and means snugly encircling and hingedly connecting the upper ends of said bails, said side walls being unconnected at the top except by said bails so as to be swung by the latter into clamping engagement with bottles placed in the carrier when the latter is lifted.

2. The construction defined in claim 1, in combination with a bail-like handle connected to said last-mentioned means.

3. The construction defined in claim 1, wherein said bottom member includes a generally flat bottom Wall provided with spaced straight parallel intersecting longitudinal and transverse corrugations.

JAMES C. A. FORTNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 489,711 Mandioni Jan. 10, 1893 2,023,886 Hoffman Dec. 10, 1935 2,078,650 Clark Apr. 27, 1937 2,285,566 Brunhofi June 9, 1942 2,293,646 Hass et a1 Aug. 18, 1942 2,332,001 Nemetz Oct. 19, 1943 2,353,846 Power July 18, 1944 

